[Overtonwindow]

Snowden defected to China, then Russia. He is neither a hero nor a patriot in my book. While the programs he identified may have been bad for democracy and America, it was not his place to blow the whistle, and he went about it in such a shady, criminal way that I can never forgive him.

[IdEntities]

> While the programs he identified may have been bad for democracy and America

The fact that you even use such qualified language to describe mass surveillance of the entire civilian population shows just how far your Stockholm Syndrome has led you to identify with our predatory government and ruling institutions.

You know who else was shady and criminal? All the planners, bureaucrats, functionaries, and even code monkeys who built the NSA's dragnet in the first place. But I'm sure we'll never hear a peep about them from you.

[GiorgioG]

Who's place was it to do it then? Seriously? You already work in government - so tell me, what mechanism should have been employed? Seems like no one else in the ranks had the balls to do it except him.

[paulryanrogers]

At least according to Snowden he raised concerns through official channels. Clapper perjuring himself in front of Congress in response proves that the NSA values its unconstitutional dragnets more than the people's freedom from unreasonable search.

[Sporktacular]

Wrong. He never defected to China. He travelled to Hong Kong to share the info with journalists and went from there to Russia.

And it was absolutely his place to do that, just as it's everyone's place to protect democracy and do what is right. Can you suggest how the system itself would have otherwise disclosed those abuses?

He doesn't need your forgiveness, but he deserves your appreciation.

[shmde]

"He is neither a hero nor a patriot in my book". This man literally exposed government spying on people mainstream and brought it into public light by putting his life on line. Your bio says "I work in government", let me guess NSA ?